Everything from the New Rules Project

Charts: Small Banks & Small Business Lending

smitchell — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:39:21 -0600

Britain Moves Feed-in Tariffs to a Whole New Level

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:16:23 -0600

In a truly groundbreaking move for the English-speaking world, Britain's Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) has released a full suite of renewable energy tariffs that go into effect in April. Britain will become the first country in the world to offer a comprehensive system of tariffs for renewable heat, including tariffs for solar domestic hot water and ground-source heat pumps among others.

Financial System Even More Vulnerable Now, Warns Inspector General

smitchell — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:11:11 -0600

The latest report from TARP Inspector General Neil Barofsky warns:

"Even if TARP saved our financial system from driving off a cliff back in 2008, absent meaningful reform, we are still driving on the same winding mountain road, but this time in a faster car."

Why Does Congress want me to Shun my Local Bookstore and Shop Online Instead?

smitchell — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:05:27 -0600

By exempting internet retailers like Amazon.com from collecting sales taxes, lawmakers provide a substantial financial incentive for people to bypass local businesses and shop online instead.

Over the years, there have been four primary arguments made in favor of this inequitable policy. None of them stand up.

Community Banking Initiative

smitchell — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:41:30 -0600

The New Rules Project launched the Community Banking Initiative to provide the empirical and conceptual underpinnings for a community-scaled financial system, which will reduce systemic risk and strengthen local economies, and to identify public policies that can revitalize such a system. We'll be posting a growing body of reports, articles, and policy models to this page.

Control Your Cash - Move Your Borrowing Along with Your Money

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:14:17 -0600

The New Rules Project, in partnership with HuffPost's Move Your Money campaign, is using its Community Banking Initiative to get out the word that banking locally can put the power back in the hands of individuals and communities, rather than Wall Street's CEOs.

As more of us ditch the big banks in favor local banks and credit unions, we need to give thought to both the saving and lending sides of a bank. Each is crucial.

Move Your Borrowing Along with Your Money

smitchell — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:51:47 -0600

As we start down the path of breaking up with the big banks and defending our own economic interests and that of our communities, we should think about the whole range of financial services we use.

We need to give thought to both the saving and lending sides of a bank. Each is crucial. On the savings side, community-based financial institutions need our deposits much more than the big banks do. But to be profitable community banks need to convert those deposits into loans.

Move Your Borrowing Along with Your Money

smitchell — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:51:47 -0600

As we start down the path of breaking up with the big banks and defending our own economic interests and that of our communities, we should think about the whole range of financial services we use.

Instead of Cap and Trade, Cap and Dividend

dmorris — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:56:50 -0600

A new and vastly improved climate change policy has come out of nowhere to capture the imagination of state and national policymakers: "Cap and dividend." It works like this: Step one, impose a carbon cap. Step two, auction off all carbon allowances. Step three, return most of (if not all) the revenues generated to all households on a per capita basis.

Supreme Court Removes Clean Energy Policy Detour

jfarrell — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:46:47 -0600

In a largely unheralded move last week, the Supreme Court removed an unnecessary and unpopular detour from the road to a clean energy economy, preserving the right of states to refuse new high voltage transmission lines. At issue was the right of the federal government to override a state’s veto of a new transmission line. Electric utilities had appealed the Piedmont Environmental Council’s victory in a lower court decision, but the high court’s refusal to review means that states will retain the authority to refuse new high voltage transmission lines.